The driver of a suspected stolen SUV being pursued by police died Monday afternoon, Aug. 12, when he collided with a semi-truck while driving the wrong way and attempting to exit the 15 Freeway in Fontana, the California Highway Patrol said.
The truck driver, a 63-year-old West Covina resident, was not injured, said Officer Rodrigo Jimenez, a CHP spokesman.
Fontana police did not provide details Tuesday about the chase that led to the crash.
The name of the deceased driver was not available Tuesday.
Jimenez said the man was speeding south on the shoulder of northbound 15, north of Summit Avenue, in a stolen 2004 GMC Yukon around 1:40 p.m. He attempted to exit the highway via the Summit on-ramp but collided head-on with a large 2017 Kenworth truck.
The driver was trapped in the Yukon crash. San Bernardino County firefighters extricated him and took him to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, where he died at 2:36 p.m., Jimenez said.
“It is currently unknown whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident,” the official said.
Jimenez urged witnesses to call the CHP at 909-980-3994.
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